The Politics of Men and Beasts
by Rumour of an Alchemist
Summary: Alternate Universe. Concerning the part of the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest in the wider magical world. Complementary background material to 'Saint Potter'. Rated 'T' (for now).
1. Before the Eclipse, 10th July, 1991

Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

Note: The following is set in an alternate universe where some characters and situations have diverged from canon, and is complementary to 'Saint Potter?' The setting of this chapter is a small island off the coast of central America where a group of centaurs are gathering to observe a solar eclipse the following day. The centaurs Bane and Firenze are attending as the representatives of the centaurs of 'The Forbidden Forest'. Firenze has gone off to try and find somewhere to set up their equipment, whilst Bane pays his respects (one-on-one) to 'Chiron' – the Greek centaur with overall charge of this particular gathering. In so much as it matters, all centaurs are assumed to speak a version of Greek, as a common language. This story is rated 'T' for now, but the rating may rise as it progresses.

* * *

_Wednesday, 10__th__ July, 1991_

"And how are our British brethren?"

Bane personally disliked the oft-times slightly-superior attitudes which the most important of Greek centaurs frequently showed to any centaur from any other part of the globe; but they carried off 'politely condescending' in a fashion that left one wondering whether it was actually intentional and intended to put others in their place, or entirely accidental and thus impolite to comment upon. Chiron, the representative of the Greek 'High Council' presiding over _this_ particular centaur gathering, was no exception.

"My chief, Magorian, sends his greetings." Bane formally replied. "He sends a scroll of our herd's most significant astronomical observations of the last few months, to correlate with your own." In a manoeuvre which had been much rehearsed, so as not to cause any social embarrassment with fumbling (as Ronan had done last time), Bane reached back into one of the saddlebags that he wore, plucked forth the appropriate scroll, and offered it to Chiron with just the slightest inclination of his head for a moment to show 'proper' deference.

The Greek centaur took the scroll, and actually removed the restraining ribbon and unfurled it to scan it with as much speed as decorum might permit. Bane's senses prickled. Something was clearly in the wind, if the representative of the High Council of Greek centaurs was inspecting the data that Magorian had sent him immediately. British centaurs were regarded as being so much on the fringe of centaur society, that it was out of the question that it could be as a sign of respect or of favour that Magorian's observations merited such rapid attention.

"These observations are… patchy…" Chiron said at length, rolling up the scroll, and sounding both clearly disappointed by the gaps and equally intrigued by what he had read. His air of detached aloofness of minutes earlier had completely disappeared, and he had a businesslike tone of voice now.

"You are aware of our geographical situation, and the difficulty posed by the surrounding mountains and the climate."

"I am aware," Chiron agreed, "but are you not able to construct an observatory point upon an area of ground high enough to at least take some of the surrounding mountains out of the equation?"

"We do not have the luxury of islands surrounded by gulfs of water to keep out the unwanted, and the witches and wizards' International Statute of 'Wizarding Secrecy' is a constant fetter upon us. Whilst we remain down in the valleys, it is much easier to remain hidden from the wider world. If we go up on the mountains – and especially if we were to raise any permanent edifice there – we would be at much greater risk of drawing unwanted attention. And besides that there would be difficulty sparing labour from foraging and ensuring our security to shift stone."

"We could make funds available, perhaps, to hire labour and buy materials." Chiron mused. By 'we' Bane had little doubt that the High Council was meant, but that favours might well be expected in return.

"These are matters above the level that my chief has entrusted me to discuss." Bane said. "If you wish me to carry him a verbal or written offer, private or otherwise, I will do so, but no amount of bought labour or raised stone will do anything about the vagaries of the Scottish weather. Even the Supreme Mugwump has, in recent years, ordered the practice abandoned at the school he presides over of attempting to observe the skies _locally_ as part of scheduled classes."

"Ahh, Hogwarts. The place has recently been much in our deliberations, in Greece." Chiron had switched subjects – and in the process avoided giving any indication for now of whether he wished to send a formal offer of financial assistance to Magorian, Bane noticed. "Not merely as a school, or what passes for a school by human standards, mind – and this is _in confidence_, Bane, for your ears and those of your chief, only – but as one of the few true fortresses of the world in which we are expected to move. Were the Supreme Mugwump not… the 'man'… that he is, I would send strong words of encouragement to your chief to get his front hooves firmly inside the Hogwarts gates as a matter of some priority. But, the Supreme Mugwump _is_ who he is…."

Chiron trailed off thoughtfully.

Already this conversation had gone on considerably longer than Bane had expected or been prepared for. A brief exchange of formal greetings was about all that a British centaur would usually receive from the representative of the Greek High Council upon arrival at one of these events. Yet suddenly the capacity of the herd to which Bane belonged to make astronomical investigations was being enquired after, and hints dropped that the Greek centaurs were interested in improving their star-gazing facilities and that perhaps if a less objectionable wizard than Albus Dumbledore were in residence at Hogwarts that Magorian ought to be making nice to him. All the signs were that Chiron thought that 'something' might be going to come to pass in Britain, which he was trying to reason out a way to turn to maximum (centaur) advantage.

Chiron apparently reached some decision:

"I shall write a private and confidential letter to your chief, Bane, before you return home." Coming from Chiron, in this circumstance, 'private' was coded language for 'this will not represent any official view, and any knowledge of it may well be denied, if publically raised'. It also equally meant, that in theory, Magorian would be free to completely disregard it, and that no official sanction would occur if he did so. "It may be that what we observe tomorrow will influence my final thoughts, but my general intention will be to advise him as I consider appropriate, and then leave it entirely to his discretion what to say or any other actions to take. Oh, and Bane: I am reminding _all_ centaurs, as I greet them today, that though the Supreme Mugwump funds these gatherings, and arranges transportation and security, that we have a _duty_ to only report to him what the entire gathering has debated upon and concluded that it is appropriate for him to hear. Sometimes the messages in the space in between the stars can be unclear, and I have no wish to disturb his mind with anything at this time, unless the entire gathering has agreed that he ought to hear it – and also agreed upon the circumstances under which he may do so. Pass that on to your associate, Firenze, from me."

And with that Chiron waved, to indicate that Bane was dismissed, the impromptu audience effectively now over. Still, it had almost certainly been observed by others, at the gathering, and tongues would soon be wagging, as quiet speculations were exchanged. And what was that bit at the end about? It seemed to Bane, as he politely nodded and turned away, that Chiron expected something _important_ to perhaps be discerned in the heavens during the morrow's eclipse, and that he didn't want any centaur independently spilling the beans to the Supreme Mugwump, until Chiron had haggled with the man for every last favour and promise that he believed he could get out of him – not that _Bane_ would ever want to do the Supreme Mugwump any favours for free…

Bane snorted, and went to discover what clear ground Firenze had managed to find, and see how he was going with setting up the telescopes. And to inform him of Chiron's injunction regarding speaking with the Supreme Mugwump, of course…

* * *

Author Notes:

For this particular universe, I've assumed that there are herds of centaurs here and there in many places round the world, but that they tend to defer to a 'High Council' of centaurs in Greece (Greece being the land where the first centaurs originated in this universe).

Albus Dumbledore, in his capacity of Supreme Mugwump, has by 1991 been paying the Greek centaurs for several years to gather members of their race from around the globe to observe solar eclipses and to report back to him on anything interesting which comes up. Witches and wizards acting for Albus Dumbledore arrange a location where the centaurs can observe each eclipse, ward it to make sure the centaurs aren't disturbed (or cause any breaches of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy by being observed by muggles), and arrange magical transport for centaurs to and from the gatherings.


	2. After the Eclipse, 11th July, 1991

Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

Note: The following is set in an alternate universe where some characters and situations have diverged from canon, and is complementary to 'Saint Potter?' As with the first chapter, the setting of this chapter is still a small island off the coast of central America where a group of centaurs had gathered to observe a solar eclipse, although the timeline has advanced and it is now the early evening of the day after that of the first chapter. Bane is a silent witness to events in this chapter, Albus Dumbledore having arrived looking for a briefing about the eclipse (which has by now come and gone) and although most of the centaurs having gathered to watch the exchange, Chiron having issued firm instructions that he is the only centaur to do any talking. In so much as it matters, all centaurs are assumed to speak a version of Greek, as a common language. This story is rated 'T' for now, but the rating may rise.

* * *

_Thursday, 11__th__ July, 1991_

"I take it, from all the remarkably tight-lipped faces around here, that something of note has perhaps been observed? I hope that it has caused no dissension as to interpretation between yourselves?" Albus Dumbledore enquired in English.

"Something of note has indeed been observed, beyond the usual signs and trends, but it is of such tremendous potential importance to our kind that it is only for the ears of our closest friends and allies." Chiron replied likewise in English. "Thus there exists doubt as to the wisdom of sharing it with you."

"I was given to understand that when one consulted the centaurs, one could expect a workmanlike report, irrespective of whether the news was either fair or foul for either listener or the one who delivered it."

"That is indeed so, Supreme Mugwump, but you have _not_ consulted us. You have merely organised meetings, that we might have done for ourselves; you have not approached us in our palaces on the Pelopennese heights, with offers of rare tribute, nor come on bended knees to those of our kin who dwell in more rustic settings. There are formal conventions to consultations, and you never once asked if they were waived. So it comes down, since what we have seen is privileged information, to whether you can show that you are our good friend or ally. I will allow that you have put yourself out to some degree, nonetheless, to facilitate these gatherings for us, but that might not be an act of friendship, but perhaps one of appropriate contrition over the base devices and treacherous words that you – or at least your protégé, Sirius Black – employed in dealing with our kin in the lands in which you commonly live."

"I was as much deceived in the Sirius Black situation as your kin were, and in the past made apology for it to those involved."

"You made it to those who lived locally, not to the centaur race as a whole, whose majesty you had offended in so allowing some of our members to be misled and so very nearly put to ill uses. And though it might have been lacking in spirit, your apology to them did at least, I have heard, follow the appropriate forms, which thus removes from you the burden of atoning for that, too. But in following the forms, you showed yourself aware of centaur conventions, and thus you have no grounds to accuse us of bad faith in not sharing anything with you now, in what is after all, not by the book, a formal consultation. And as I said, I consider that the arranging of these gatherings – from which, incidentally, I assume that your prestige has gained greatly by association with us, even though we have had little to say before today, over which you have never once complained – a suitable act of contrition to the entire centaur race for your part in the wrong-doings against centaurs of the British Wizarding War. But I do not consider it a demonstration of friendship or of alliance."

There was a lengthy pause, while the two looked at one another, apparently waiting for one another to say something; it was broken at last by Albus Dumbledore.

"Since you have not spoken of any desire that you wish fulfilled nor given any sign of any other matter you would like to see resolved, I will not insult you, most noble Chiron, by implying that your friendship or alliance could be _bought_. I am pleased to hear that you consider the account on behalf of your entire race over the unfortunate Sirius Black incidents now settled, and so I shall beg your pardon for taking up your time, and depart."

And with that he turned to go.

There was a stunned silence.

"You cannot turn your back on the entire centaur race, Albus Dumbledore! You _need_ us."

"Again, I beg your pardon, most noble Chiron, but you have already indicated that you do not want nor need me; I am not so young as I used to be, but I hope that I am not yet so lacking in hearing as to have mistaken something you spoke for something unsaid, nor in wits to push for friendship or alliance with someone who has given no indication of desire for either. And, being the Supreme Mugwump, I have many other things to be doing with my time other than so disappointing you."

"There is an age of Janus coming, Albus Dumbledore! An age of Janus!" Chiron bellowed, but the other had disapparated, and it was unclear if he could have even heard.

* * *

Author Notes:

Although Bane is, as noted earlier, only a silent observer in this chapter, I consider it worth posting, as background to future events.

Although, in theory, Chiron is usually a competent politician and shrewd negotiator, on this occasion he's misread the situation, mistakenly believing that Albus needs the centaurs' advice sufficiently badly that he will _beg_ them for their help; hence why Chiron is anxious to start playing up adherence to the exact letter of centaur traditions, customs, and expectations, to emphasise that the centaurs don't actually owe Albus any explanations about what observations that they've made. Chiron expects that by doing so, Albus will in response start to offer up all kinds of favours and promises to get the information he wants.

Albus, on the other hand concludes, upon reflection, that although he'd have preferred the centaurs' analysis of the recent eclipse, as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of wizards he's hardly without other options for getting reports from stargazers – albeit ones not nearly so specialised in the field – and that with something so significant, he can probably take the time to fill in most of the gaps in between such lower quality reports himself and save himself both a good deal of stress of lengthy haggling with Chiron and a huge headache in terms of favours that Chiron seems likely to insist upon for the centaurs' cooperation.

Janus, of course, is the two-faced Roman mythological figure who stands at the doorway of times of great change (often including the beginning and end of wars).

The references made to Sirius Black are concerned with actions that (so a later secret trial decided) he carried out on behalf of Lord Voldemort during the British Wizarding War to try and incite conflict between the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest and the British Ministry of Magic.

As a footnote, Chiron technically commits a diplomatic boo-boo in the light of the position that he subsequently adopts, by allowing the discussion he has with Albus to take place in English. Whilst Albus would be within his rights to 'consult' in English, if Chiron actually considers that Albus' role is not that of one seeking a private consultation, but of one seeking friendship/alliance, then Chiron should at least (at the onset) insist on the discussion taking place in the centaurs' version of Greek. Albus could have either objected to that (which, depending on his reasons, would have factored into the later discussions) or fallen into line and continued in Greek, but Chiron still _ought_ to have raised the point, given the direction he later took.


End file.
